A flooded Thai restaurant delights customers as fish swim freely around diners

In central Thailand, a family-run restaurant has gone viral for a dining experience unlike any other: eating your meal while standing in floodwater as live fish glide past your feet.

The Pa Jit restaurant in Nakhon Pathom province has been underwater for 11 days after a nearby river overflowed. Since then, crowds have flocked to the venue to enjoy the unusual atmosphere, take photos of fish zig-zagging between tables, and toss fish food to trigger feeding frenzies.

Toddlers giggled as river fish brushed against their legs, while servers in waterproof waders carefully delivered bowls of soup and noodles across submerged aisles.

Owner Pornkamol Prangprempree, whose restaurant has been by the riverside for over 30 years, remembers panicking the first time flooding hit four years ago.
“I was sure I’d lose all my customers,” she said. “Then someone posted a video online showing the fish inside — and suddenly people flocked here.”

This year’s flooding has doubled her daily earnings from about 10,000 baht to 20,000 baht (around $618).

Customers describe the experience as both calming and fun:
– Chomphunuth Khantaniti, visiting with her husband and young son, said children become less fussy when distracted by fish.
– Bella Windy, 63, came specifically for the sensation of fish nibbling at her feet.

Pa Jit is expected to remain inundated for several more weeks due to high tides and lingering monsoon rains.

Elsewhere in Thailand, floods have taken a heavy toll. Since late July, 12 people have died, two are missing, and over 480,000 residents in 13 provinces have been affected.